Hi PB community,

I’m interested learning what I can do to better manage the family pond (2-3 acres). I think it’s in good shape and very healthy, but I’d like to maximize fish size if possible, and possibly reduce the muck on the bottom and perhaps control the inevitable summer algae/vegetation.

I’ll start with a quick background

My grandpa built a pond 60-70 years ago in west central Louisiana and it’s turned into a very healthy largemouth and bream pond. It’s surrounded by a healthy baldcypress and longleaf pine forest. Louisiana irises line much of the bank, and there’s a small island in the middle with outreached shrubs and trees providing cover for pond residents. The depth is a gradient from 2ft to around 7ft near the dam. The dam has concrete spilllway.

I’d say angling pressure’s low-to-medium. We have friends who occasionally fish here, but we also have poachers and it’s work keeping people away. We’re in the process of restricting access to friends and invited guests only.

I regularly catch 1.5 to 3lbs bass, with the rare 4lbs fish. I’ve heard stories of folks pulling 6lbers over the last three decades, so I know they can grow bigger.


Management Goals

As mentioned earlier, I’d like to aim for double digit bass, or at the very least, 6-8lbers. I’d also like to control the summer algae and the muck/silt that covers the bottom. I’d prefer natural, and/or self-sustaining methods requiring as little human involvement as possible.

Current plan to increase fish size

-keeping as many 1-3lbs bass as the family can eat in order to increase available forage for everything above 3lbs.
-stock fathead minnows and bluegill more as a fattening snack (I’ll wait until I’ve removed 20-30 bass beforehand)

I’ve included some photos of the pond. I’ll share more later when I’m near my iPad.

Pond Photos

Last edited by Kanon M; 04/23/24 10:47 AM.